Once an Uchiha, Always an Uchiha
by LordPurifex
Summary: Being sent on mission before the Uchiha Massacre, Esu is one of the few remaining Uchiha clan members left. He returns to Konoha after being away for 6 years. He wishes to remain loyal to the Leaf and continue his duties. Will he be able to continue surviving in this world or will he perish like the rest of his clan? Only time will tell.
1. The Return

Author's Note: Hey guys! Ya boi LordPurifex here! Just decided to try out writing my own fanfic for the first time! I have read many fanfics and been inspired by those individuals who created them. This fanfic is about a OC Uchiha character I made up called Esu and wanted to make him different from the average Uchiha. At times he will be funny and serious which is nice for a change. He is a calm and collected man who knows how to handle any threats. Anyway, the goal for this chapter is create the foundation for Esu and his memories. I base this all off Kakashi and his age so I say he is 27 when Naruto starts so Esu is 22 which is a 5 age gap. Most of the memories I will try to be accurate with time line so forgive me if I miss up (I always have the Naruto Wiki open). The fanfic will start in the first Naruto(manga/anime) at the end of the second round of the Chunin exams. The reason for this is because while I like the Naruto beginning arcs, it just gets repetitive when every fanfic starts from the beginning. All I know is once we start getting into the Shippuden series then thats where shit gets lit! If you have thoughts about this fanfic and if anyone wants to give advice on my writing then please! I'm a perfectionist at times so I always want my stories to satisfy me and my audience. Anyways for anyone wanting to know pairings then for the other characters it will be canon, but Kakashi might get a waifu tbh. For Esu, it will be a surprise. I'm sorry for ranting but I just need to get this out and I hope to make you guys happy with Esu and that this becomes one of your favorite fanfics.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Naruto Series since Masashi Kishimoto created it and I only own the OC's I created.

Enough, just enjoy. :)

_(Somewhere within the Land of Fire)_

After being sent off a mission for 6 years, Esu Uchiha has been notified by the Hokage to return home. As he walks the familiar path to Konoha all he can do is reminisce. He did his part and wants to report to the Hokage of his findings. The mission he was on was to investigate the mercenary group called the_ Akatsuki_. Esu did what Sandaime-sama asked of him and decided he could wait a little longer because he wanted to enjoy the peace he had now. Stepping out of the forest for a moment, Esu is then basked in sunlight and sees a nice flowing river. He crouches and looks in the river and sees the reflection of himself. Esu was 22 years old with short raven hair, spiky but combed to one side. He had the onyx eyes of the Uchiha and fairly light tan that made him stand out from his once pale clan members. The one of the remaining Uchiha clan members decides to fill his canteen. Once that was done he gets back up standing at 6 feet exact. He turns back into the forest making his war torn hooded cloak flap in the wind. It was only a day till he reached Konoha and his beloved village could wait a little more. As he walked Esu thought, _'I just hope nothing else went wrong while I was gone.'_, and continued on his way.

Esu has many trials ahead of him, but it is best to describe his upbringing. In order for this to be explained we will have to go back to when he was an innocent child at the academy.

_(Esu Age 7, Academy Days)_

In a small apartment near the Uchiha district, a young boy by the name Esu was getting up at 5 am to begin his morning routine and heading to the Academy. He only had one more day left until the graduation exam and he needed to pass. Esu lives alone, having lost his father in the Second Shinobi War and his mother of illness after birth. He was cared for by different clan members until he decided he could care for himself. In all honesty, he was treated differently by his clan members because of his lack of obtaining the Sharingan. He went for his annual checkup months back and the doctors believed he may never awaken his Sharingan due to issues with chakra not entering his optical nerves. Esu did not mind this and he knew that his clans dojutsu was deadly, but he wanted to show his clan that he could become powerful without it. As of that day he rarely enters the clan district and tries to prove them wrong for not believing in him.

As he gets up he stretches his muscles for being still so long. Then he does his basic light training routine which consisted of 100 reps of sit/push ups, shuriken/kunai training, light endurance training, and then eating a nice meal to start his day right. After all that he likes to shower and make himself presentable.

"Sometimes I wish I was older already." Esu said as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was doing all this while brushing his teeth. Once he finished that task, he headed back into his room to put on a grey long sleeve shirt with his clan's crest on the back and black shorts with blue sandals. After that he headed out to begin his training.

_(2 hours later)_

'_Man, overall I'm doing pretty good on my training I just need to start making my chakra pools larger and increasing my stamina!' _Esu thought, while he currently laid down in a empty training ground. He knew he was still growing so he could not push himself too much.

'_Well time I get up and head to the academy! Yumi-sensei will scold me for being late!' _With that he performed the seals for the Shunshin jutsu and jumped to what he thought was the academy except he accidentally messed up his jump and appeared in the Hot Springs. He splashed into the hot water and startled the..crap...he was in the FEMALE SECTION!

"What was that?!" One female said as the other 4 women in the springs started to be concerned. They knew men loved to peak on them at times and they knew one White haired man always came to mind.

A woman with D cup breasts wrapped herself in a towel and saw that it was just a boy, but with a familiar fan symbol on his back. She thought, '_An Uchiha? Of all places_. _He seems to be out cold, or just faking it so that he doesn't get hit by each one of us.' _A frown appeared on her face as she pick the boy up and laid him out of the springs. The rest of the woman noticed the clan crest and wanted to make sure one of the prestigious clan members was not hurt. They all started to poke him to wake him up and after awhile he did.

"Told you Hokage-sama, I'd get that jutsu down. Now time to..." Esu realized he was not in the academy but rather in the hot springs surrounded by five gorgeous women. With a blush that could revival Hinata, he started to apologize, "I'm s-s-ss-sorry! Honest to Kami-sama I was just trying to get to school! Please don't hit me!". With that said he got on floor and bowed to them. He knew the wrath of woman was not to be trifled with. This reaction got the women laughing and then all of them hugging him.

He started to hear things like, "Oh my god you're so adorable I could eat you up!", and, "It's alright sweetie you can look all you want." The woman honestly just wanted to tease the young boy. He seemed to cause no harm and just wanted him to enjoy what he saw for a bit.

The woman who rescued him, who Esu now saw having shoulder length brown hair and her tits out for him to see. She poke his forehead and spoke, "If you be a good boy and not do this again I'll let you cop a feel before we let you go. Can't have you being late to the academy now right?" With having said her piece she winked at him as the other girls blew him kisses.

Esu could not believe what was happening. These women were being so nice to him and one even wanted him to grab her melons. With a straight face and a hint of a blush on his face he just nodded. If he were to piss these girls off then he would definitely be late. Still, this was something he would not forget for the rest of his life. '_Oh Shiru won't believe me when I tell him this!', _he told himself and got shook out of his thoughts when she grabbed his hand.

It was like a blessing to him! Her melons felt so nice and she gave a quick peck on his cheek. After that she knew his time was up and lightly pushed him. She spoke, "Now time for you to go little Uchiha. Make sure you respect women okay? I know one day you'll be pulling all sorts of ladies!" She winked at him one more time as he blushed and ran outside.

'_Off I go! Anymore surprises for me?'_, he thought. Esu was already liking this day so far.

_(At the Academy)_

Finally arriving, he pushes the door into his class and sees mostly everyone getting ready for the lecture from Yumi-sensei. Esu looked at the very back row and saw his friends Shiru Nara and Shisui Uchiha. Shiru was the typical Nara clan member lazy and smart but at times Shiru could be a pain. He was good at finding people's weaknesses quickly and bug them about it. He had his hair in a ponytail and a brown Nara clan shirt on with gray shinobi pants. Shisui was just a couple months older than Esu even though they were the same age. He was the only few people he spoke to from his clan including Obito. After seeing that Shiru and Shisui were in deep discussion he decided to show them his findings later. Esu then looked and saw his other friend who was at the far right(left if facing the board) of the class near the windows. Her name was Hisaya Hyuga and he was friends with her ever since they started the academy together. She had creamy skin color and had shoulder length dark brown hair. Hisaya wore tight dark blue pants and a white open jacket with the Hyuga clan symbol on her back and left shoulder. What mostly stuck out about her was that she always wore bandages around her forehead. Esu did not know why but he assumed that she always just trying to be cool. They did not have any type of rivalry and they just enjoyed helping each other learn and grow. Without Hisaya always picking at his Uchiha pride, he knew he would not be the boy he was now. Just thinking about how she cared for him made him smile but also wanting to improve himself even further. Seeing that she had a open spot by her he got there and took a seat.

Seeing that Esu arrived, Hisaya greeted him with a smile, "Hey Esu-kun! I really thought you were going to be late today. Some kind of Uchiha you are." she said with a smirk on her face. She knew how to make him flustered about his clan's pride. Most of the time it worked and other times not so much.

Turning to look at her, Esu decided to fire back. He was having a good day he was not gonna be bullied by Hisaya of all people! He spoke, "Heh, not going to work this time Hyuga! I may have my pride but I am not devoted to it my like my other clan members. You know I'm different." While he wanted say more he had to end it there. Yumi-sensei started to scratch the board to get their attention.

Yumi-sensei, or Yumi Maru, was 20 year old chunin standing at 5 foot 6 inches. She had light green eyes and silver hair wrapped in a ponytail. Her attire consisted of a chunin flak jacket on top of white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show her forearms, tight dark blue shinobi pants, and heeled kunoichi shoes. Yumi was a beautiful kunoichi that knew how to handle her own and she was close to being promoted to jonin which would mean this would be her last year teaching at the academy. She enjoyed teaching, but she also had other dreams that she needed to complete.

Looking at her students, she closed her eyes and smiled. Then she spoke, "Okay! Today class we are going to over the requirements for passing the graduation exam. As you all know you'll have a written, target practice, and jutsu portions of the exam." The classed started to whine so she started to glare and smirk at them. "Well, if you're all going to still complain then maybe I should include an endurance portion as well!" Yumi said this as a warning, they were future shinobis/kunoichis in the making. If they had time to complain then they had time to work even harder. They became quite at that and gave her their full attention.

Esu knew these next few days were going to be a pain. He knew he was smart and skilled but at times even he wanted to be like Shiru and just nap his life away.

'_Let's just get this over with! I'm tryna be a genin now!'_, Esu thought as he was determined more than ever!

_(Exam Day)_

After completing all 3 portions of the exam, Esu was happy to say he was now an official genin of Konoha! Most of the class passed which was odd to Esu at first. Majority of class was young so he believes something is going on here. Yumi told them to return tomorrow to know what teams they would be placed in. Once Esu left the academy he knew that he had to show his idol, Sandaime-sama himself. He shunshined over there to show him.

Before he entered, he obviously had to show his manners and knock. What kind of idiot would just barge in? Anyways, he knocked and heard a deep elderly voice say 'Enter' from inside.

Esu walked in and announced himself, "I told you Hokage-sama! I would pass the exam and learn the shunshin jutsu!" Esu was happy to finally make his idol proud. Now he wanted what Sandaime-sama promised and start his career.

"Please Esu-kun, call me Hiruzen. There's no need for formalities when it's you I'm speaking to." Hiruzen smiled. He watched Esu grow up quickly and mature fast for his age. Although he was a child, Hiruzen knew Esu would be become an excellent shinobi one day. _'He reminds of Kakashi-kun so much.'_ Similar to Kakashi, Esu lost his parents at a young age and had to adapt to being on his own. He felt sorry for both of them for the effects the Second Shinobi War caused for not only them, but Konoha as a whole. He continued to think, _'Although I now fear that we are close to entering another war. The national power for all Five Great Shinobi countries is crumbling. I hope this war ends shortly'_. Hiruzen was tired of war and it was almost time for him to retire. He needed to find a successor fast but that could wait. Now all he was concerned about was the young Uchiha in front of him.

The Hokage decided to get out of his swivel chair to congratulate Esu. He gave the boy a hug which Esu appreciated very much. Hiruzen then decided to light his pipe and get the gift he promised him.

Esu could not contain himself! Sand- or he meant to say Hiruzen-sama was going to give him something he always wanted! This item was rare and one of a kind but he needed to have it because another idol he adorned used it before. The man was known as Hashirama Senju, the Shodaime Hokage and sensei to Hiruzen. It was a journal Hashirama used to write notes in that contained both knowledge he knew and experiences he had in life. Although what Esu did not know was that Hiruzen was going to also include the journal of the Nidaime Hokage, his other sensei.

Hiruzen found what he was looking for in his desk gave Esu the first journal. Esu snatched it and smiled like no tomorrow.

"Finally I can learn what the Shodaime-sama knew in his time! Thanks Hiruzen-sama!", said Esu. He wanted to finally be strong not only physically, but mentally. Although he saw the Hiruzen had another book for him, one he knew was rare as well. Finally it clicked it for him, but he couldn't believe it! "That's...That's…", Esu was at a lost for words. He heard the Hokage cough and give him the book.

Hiruzen knew the boy looked up to him and his teachers. It was rare to find an Uchiha who adorned the Hokages before them considering they were Senju. _'Well their clan issues were a thing of the pass. Hopefully Esu will use this knowledge wisely.'_, Hiruzen thought while he smiled to Esu. Then he saw the boy accept the gift and start crying. He was sure that he did nothing wrong but than realize they weren't tears of sadness, but of joy.

Esu now realized he had both journals of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju! He really appreciated Hiruzen-sama for giving him such wonderful gifts and teaching him. Then he started to cry, he never was treated so kindly by anyone like how Sandaime-sama treated him.

After that they said nothing and hugged it out. Once Esu was settled down Hiruzen sent him off, he still had a war to prepare for.

_(That Night)_

Getting home fast as possible, Esu made himself dinner and started to read the journals of his idols. The journals contained information about both of the Hokages lives, knowledge, experience, ideas, and jutsus they had in their arsenal. It was crazy to believe that these journals held so much to this day and Esu planned on using it wisely. While he read he learned so much about the Shodaime Hokage than he learned in the academy. What surprised him the most was that the Shodaime even developed genjutsus to fight his clan members back in the day. After getting half way through the journal he switched to the Nidaime's journal. The journal had more writing than the Shodaime and went more into detail of what jutsu the Nidaime used and created. Although, as he got further in the journal he saw information of his clan. Esu was bombarded with the knowledge and theories that the Nidaime knew about. Nidaime also went into detail of why he had to make changes to the Uchiha clan and put more restrictions on them. The young Uchiha knew that the Senju and Uchiha had a nasty history of conflict, but he did want to believe that the Nidaime still held a grudge even after the formation of Konoha. Whatever caused Tobirama Senju to be suspicious of his clan he planned to one day fix that issue. However, the words that he read next were forever ingrained in his mind. Now he understood why his clan acted strange at times, but for this to be the cause? Esu was horrified.

He read aloud, "No clan feels deeper love than the Uchiha. Once a member of the Uchiha knows love, and then loses that love, then they are cursed with hatred. This phenomenon... is known as...the _Sharingan_."

End of Chapter 1

Side Note: Sorry if this memory shit is boring, but it is necessary to describe how Esu becomes the way he does later in his life. Get ready for Chapter 2 and let me know any issues here.

JANI!


	2. We Meet Again

Author's Note: Hey guys! Here is chapter 2 for you. This time we get a little bit more of Esu's memories and him meeting the Hokage again. Let me know what you guys think so far and I will make sure to post chapter 3 and 4 together.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Naruto Series since Masashi Kishimoto created it and I own only the OC's I created.

Anyways enjoy!

(_Esu Age 7, Morning of Team Formations_)

The next morning, we find our young Uchiha waking up with dull eyes and the lacking the energy to move. The information he read from the Nidaime's journal still shook him to his core. Was the Sharingan really a curse? Why are emotions so powerful in his clan? Did his clan even know about this? These were the questions that were flooding his mind at the moment and he wanted his questions answered but feared that they all might be true. Esu briefly read over the notes that the Nidaime left and he planned to read the rest of it later that week. He planned on speaking to Sandaime-sama if his sensei left anymore notes but would not mention the knowledge he learned of his clan. He was determined to solve this theory on his own and prove the Nidaime wrong. While he respected the man he wanted to prove that his clan was not full of hatred and that they could become better. Still, that would take time and he knew that he needed to focus on bettering himself and learning more about what the Nidaime knew. With all the thinking out of the way, he looked at his clock.

'_Great, it's 7 and team formations start at 8. Guess no time for training._', Esu thought lazily. While he was excited deep down, he was too conflicted with himself. All he wanted to do was to keep researching but it was best to stop for awhile. Any way he looked at it, he hoped that his teammates would not be such a burden. Finally resolving himself he did what he had to do to get ready.

Once he showered and fed himself it was time to put on his shinobi attire. While he liked wearing shorts, he needed to protect his shins. He wrapped his shins and forearms with the typical shinobi wrap. Next his put gray shorts with a black short sleeve high collared clan shirt. The shirt had a zipper that ran down from the collar to his abdomen then to the left side of his body. With that done, he put his black shinobi sandals on and holstered his kunai pouch to his left leg and shuriken pouch above his right hip. Last but not least, he grabbed his headband and tied it around his head. Finally, he felt ready to take on the world.

Then with a determined face he declared, "I, Esu Uchiha, shinobi of Konoha, vow to protect Konoha and her people with my life. I will not falter to no enemy shinobi and will prove to the Nidaime Hokage that my clan is good." The young Uchiha felt more energetic than ever before to get his shinobi career started. With that done, he shunshined to the academy ready to be with his team.

_(Academy) _

Arriving in a swirl of leaves, Esu walked into his classroom with the majority of his classmates present. Yumi-sensei still had 5 minutes before she would begin the roll call for the teams. Esu waved at her and she returned that gesture with a smile and a wave of her own. Then he saw Shiru and Shisui in the back row and sat with them.

Seeing that Esu arrived, Shiru raised his head, disappointed that his nap ended so soon. He looked at his Uchiha friend and put his hand out. Esu saw this and put his own hand out to slap their hands together. The duo was happy to see each other and get started on their career.

Shisui pouted, "What about me?! Don't I get a handshake as well? You're a lousy friend Esu." Esu knew Shisui was just being annoying but ended up slapping his hand also. Last thing he needs is someone bugging him nonstop. He decided to sit on Shisui's left and see what the guys have been up.

"So guys you finally ready to be fully fledged shinobi? Hopefully we end up all on the same squad." Esu wanted to be optimistic but he knew there was a high chance they would be separated. Still, a guy could dream right. He notices Shiru about to speak but is interrupted by their teacher.

Yumi-sensei coughed and spoke, "Okay little children, is what I would like to say. From now on you are all shinobi and kunoichi of Konoha so please make sure you do what is needed to protect her and her people." Yumi was indeed proud of her little genin but she had to drop some harsh news for them as well. "However, recently we have gotten reports of conflict between Iwa shinobi and Konoha shinobi in Kusagakure. That means more than likely we will be going to war." Once that was said she had to let that statement settle in for the fresh new genin. Around the room the genin started to look horrified of the idea of having to fight so soon. Yumi knew this would happen but it was what they agreed to when they became shinobi. Esu himself was in deep though as he finally connected the pieces.

'_I knew something was up! No way they would graduate so many of us for no reason. To think we are going to war so soon? I don't know if I am ready for this.' _Esu was conflicted but then he remembered all the people he has to prove wrong and protect. He stood up and spoke, "Today, I woke up vowing that I'd protect Konoha and her people. I'm not gonna let some foreign shinobi scare me! I have too much to prove and so much to do. Just know guys you won't be fighting alone. Let's end this war for Konoha guys!" Esu shouted. He could already see the other genin with determined faces and Yumi-sensei with a smile on her face.

'_Well, looks like Esu-kun might become a good leader one day._' Yumi thought to herself. She had seen Esu develop over the past years and knew that he'd become someone special one day. He wasn't like his other fellow clan members and always grunting about how powerful their clan was. Yumi couldn't believe out of all his clan members that Esu did not care about his pride. Now she wanted to continue to make sure that Esu remained the same. After that proclamation from Esu, the jounin started to come in one by one.

Yumi waited for all of jounin to enter and continued, "Now that all jounin are present, I will announce the teams. Team 1…" This would continue on for the next hour or so until there was only one Jonin left.

"Last but not least Team 11, you're Jounin sensei will be Daizo Sarutobi." Said Sarutobi smiled at the last 3 genin in the room. He wore the typical jounin outfit but carried a tanto on his back. Daizo had light brown hair and black eyes that made me him seem older than he looked. Esu looked to right and was happy to hear that one of his friends was able to be on his team which ended up being the lazy Nara. Hisaya was one of the few genin who left early and it saddened him that she was going to be alone with people she didn't know. Both the Uchiha and Nara looked at their third team member who was sitting in the front row with the Uchiha crest on their back. Her name was Mika Uchiha and she looked familiar to Esu.

Her attire consisted of a high dark grey shorts, dark blue turtleneck with the Uchiha fan on the back. On top of her head she wore her headband to hold back some of her long dark brown hair. She turned around and nodded to the boys in the back. Then a grunt from their sensei got their attention.

"Alright Team 11, since war is inevitable I plan on running you guys on the ground with getting better control of your chakra and teamwork." Daizo gave them a clear order and he wanted to make them ready for war. He grunted again and continued, "Right now we are going to Training Ground 11 to get you guys acquainted with one another and to find your weaknesses and improve upon them." After he finished he motioned for them to follow him and so they did. Before Esu left the room he looked at Yumi-sensei one more time before catching up with his team. For all he knew this would be the last time he sees her. Then he turns around and keeps walking. He had a war to get ready for and wasn't gonna let his village down.

_(A Week Later)_

True to his word, Daizo-sensei did indeed run them to the ground. He was able to learn that all three of his Genin were already excellent at tree walking and so he made them water walk. At the same time he presented battle scenarios where the Genin had to come up with a plan to come out alive. The first few days the kids were almost good at getting the scenarios correct but at times they argued, well most of the arguing came from the two Uchiha and not the Nara. Both Genin had trouble agreeing with one another and it was because Mika would make a big fuss about it. Mika had issues with Esu because since he was a year younger than her so he had to listen to her. Another point the female Uchiha had was that since she possessed the Sharingan he was inferior to her. All of this nonsense had irritated Esu to no end. Mika was the perfect example of an arrogant Uchiha who shouted out how they were always superior.

On the other hand, Esu and Shiru always came up with the perfect plan together since their chemistry was already strong. Daizo was happy to hear that at least one of the Uchiha didn't have a stick up their ass and got along well with others. In the end of every argument, Mika would eventually agree with their plan and turn away with a small embarrassed blush on her face. She just hated losing to other people younger than her!

The night before Team 11 and the rest of Konoha's forces departed for war, Daizo thought it was a good idea to hangout with his team at Yakiniku Q. He wanted to congratulate them for learning how to work with one another and adapting to real life battle scenarios. He knew it was going to get ugly the next few months so he wanted some last minute peace. He smiled at his team as they arrived at his table.

Esu was thrilled to get some barbeque! Training the entire week was tough and he practiced some fireball jutsu at home that he knew would eventually increase his chakra pools. He knew fighting was going to be rough and that he might have to partake in long battles that required him to preserve his charka. With all that done he just wanted to be with his friends for now.

Esu fist pumped his sensei and spoke, "Thanks for inviting Sensei! I really hope we make you proud at there." Esu knew his sensei was going to be with them but he wanted to make sure his sensei didn't have to always watch them. His fellow teammates nodded at their sensei as well letting him know they felt the same.

Daizo just grunted and then smiled as they sat down with him. Once the food came and as they cooked it, Daizo told them plans that he had on making them stronger as they traveled. They all agreed that they had to get stronger if they wanted to win the war. Tomorrow their lives were forever going to be changed.

_(Present Day)_

Esu had traveled for a day now and finally reached the familiar gates. He smiled as he saw the ghost of his team at the gates smiling at each as they left for battle for the first time. He kept walking and thought of the times he spent with them. '_I miss them so much. One day I'll see them again._', he sadly told himself as he reached the gate. He was taken out his thoughts when two chunin ordered him to stop. He was confused as to why they were stopping him. Didn't the Hokage let them know that he was returning? Before he could speak an ANBU appeared telling the Chunin to hold. The purple haired ANBU walked up to him and greeted him. "Welcome back, Esu. Hokage-sama is waiting for you in his office. Please, follow me." Esu greeted the female ANBU back with a nod. He did as he was told and followed her. He did not want any reason in pissing her off.

Once they reached the Hokage Tower, Esu entered the office and saw two familiar men. Of course, he expected the Hokage there, looking a lot older. Then he saw a tall man with long white spikey hair and instantly knew that was Jiraiya. He got closer to the men and bowed deeply to them. "Greetings, Hokage-sama and Jiraiya-sama. I have returned from my 6 year mission." Esu stood back up and waited for the Hokage's next order. Hiruzen could only look at Esu and seen how much he had grown...and changed. Gone was the happy and determined boy he knew years ago and what stood before him was a strong man. He stood up and walked to Esu and spoke, "Please Esu-kun, you can relax now that you have returned. Go ahead and remove your cloak and take a sit. We have much to discuss between the three of us." Esu did as he was told and removed his cloak. His clans symbol on his back was ripped a bit but still he showed respect to his fallen clan members. He sat down and waited for the other two men to begin the discussion. The Hokages voice was heard from the two as he started, "So what can you tell me of the_ Akatsuki_, Esu-kun?" Esu looked into the eyes of the Hokage as he tried to remember all that he learned over the past six years. So much had happened as he traveled and all the knowledge he learned needed to be shared. He spoke, "Where to begin Hokage-sama?"

It was going to be a long afternoon for sure.

End of Chapter 2!

JANNIII!


	3. Back to Duty

Disclaimer: The Naruto series is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the OCs that I created. Also, has anyone watched the Boruto series lately? I gave up on it awhile back but let me know if it has gotten interesting.

Anyways, enjoy!

_Loneliness is better than bad company. ~ Unknown_

* * *

The past 6 years were a blur to Esu. He traveled many lands, met new people, and got stronger physically and mentally. So when the Hokage asked what he learned about the _Akatsuki_ he was overwhelmed.

The Hokage looked at Esu waiting patiently to get the information he needed. He took his hat off and put his hands beneath his chin. He could understand why it was taking Esu so long to figure out the right things to say. In order to help the young Uchiha he wanted to ask an easier question. "Okay Esu, what is the primary goal of the Akatsuki at the moment?" Hiruzen said this in hopes that Esu would finally spill the beans. He noticed the young man look up and finally have something to say.

Esu sat up straight and looked at the Hokage and Jiraiya, who was seating at open window. He answered, "At the moment, from what I could gather, they are indeed mercenaries. This then means that money is the only concern for them." Hiruzen was glad to hear the group weren't doing too much damage. However, all things change eventually. The Uchiha looked at the Hokage who nodded his head to his answer.

Hiruzen then thought of another question that would push the discussion further. "Are you aware of any members of the organization?", asked the Hokage as he started to light his pipe. In order to assure a group like the_ Akatsuki_ was not a danger to the village, he needed to know their man power.

The lonely Uchiha recalled the individuals he saw on his travels. Connections that he made across the Elemental Nations reported to him via scrolls about what they saw and heard. He finally came to conclusion for his answer. He responded, "From what my sources tell me the individuals within the organization are missing nin. Not only are they missing nin, but they are S rank missing nin." The Hokage stopped smoking to fully process what Esu just said. Why would a bunch of S rank missing nin band together? There had to be more to the group. Hiruzen then heard Jiraiya getting up from the window to stand. He knew Jiraiya wanted to get information also.

Jiraiya looked at Esu as he crossed his arms. The most important question hadn't been said yet and it needed to be addressed. So Jiraiya asked, "Are you aware of their identities?". Figuring out who these individuals were would help knowing what missing nin that were dealing with. He saw Esu nod and allowed him to answer.

"Yes Jiraiya-sama, I only know 5 individuals. They are Sasori from Sunagakure, Juzo and Kisame from Kirigakure, and Itachi and Orochimaru from Konohagakure", answered Esu. He realized earlier on that the _Akatsuki _were trying to gather the best of the best. Fighting all those men at once would be near impossible for himself. The Uchiha added, "However, Juzo is dead while Orochimaru is no longer associated with the group." Then Esu saw the Jiraiya and Hiruzen look at each when they heard Orochimaru being mentioned.

Jiraiya was not happy to hear that news. It only meant that snake bastard had more devious plans in the near future. He saw his sensei relight his pipe to likely cope with the bad news. He turned back to Esu and said, "Well that clarifies a lot of things. It proves that my information was also indeed true." Jiraiya saw that Esu was confused while Hiruzen just nodded.

Esu broke his silence, "What was the purpose of me then to travel all this time if you already had that information Jiraiya-sama?" Esu was not a man who like to waste his time. In his adolescence, that statement would have been true but not anymore. If these 6 years were for nothing he would rather just join the rest of his clan. He saw the Hokage finally finish smoking and coughed to get his attention.

"Esu-kun there was more to this mission then reconnaissance. The information you told us provided credibility for Jiraiya's sources. Not only that, but the mission was for your safety overall.", answered the Hokage. The elderly man continued, "This mission helped build your skills as shinobi and made you into one of best like Jiraiya. I am sure you can see that." While the Hokage missed Esu dearly he had to find a way to protect the boy and help him grow. He saw then the Uchiha stand up furiously with his Sharingan activated. He could tell the boy was displeased in his response.

Esu started to speak, "Then why send me away! I could have stayed here all this time and protected my clan! I knew this was all my fault." The Uchiha hated himself at the moment. If only he were there he could have stopped the coup and massacre overall. He could have saved Shisui and many other people. Damn whoever assigned and helped Itachi kill his clan members. Yes he knew the truth of Itachi. The another Uchiha is one of his main sources in gathering information on the Akatsuki. He was sad to hear that Itachi had to bear all the pain on his shoulders but there was nothing he could do for him at the moment. Esu had tried on numerous occasions to ask Itachi about more information about that night and the Uchiha always avoided his questions. One day he would know the full truth, but until then he had to be patient. He then saw the Hokage put his hat back on and looked at him.

Hiruzen knew the grown man in front of him was aware of all that occurred that day. Itachi was able to inform him that he told Esu of his role in the massacure. Mistakes happened all the time in this world and he wish he could take back that dreadful day. All he wanted was to at least to save as many loyal Uchiha. Hiruzen responded to Esu, "It is not your fault Esu. I spoke to Itachi numerous times in trying to find a way to come to peace with the Uchiha clan. However, it seems that overtime the clan was ready to strike. I wanted to continue reaching an agreement but it seems Itachi made his decision." He saw Esu's Sharingan fade and sit back down on his chair. He continued, "I also wanted to ensure your survival. The reason for this is because Itachi more than likely had an accomplice. He or she would have cut you down also. And if it weren't them then someone else would have." The Sandaime had to let Esu process the information. He then saw Esu with a blank face.

"So are you saying, you basically wanted me to fake my death by going on a "mission" Hokage-sama? , muttered Esu. He was starting to connect the pieces in all of this. The possibility the Hokage sending him on a impossible mission would explain his disappearance, and then his supposed death.

Hiruzen smiled, "Quick to figure it out as always Esu-kun. You are correct. I wanted to send you out a couple days before just incase. Over time the council believed you died of natural causes.", While it was not easy to do, Hiruzen was able to make it work in the end. "This would make it easier for you travel and for no one to be suspicious of you. Overall, it worked out in the end" said Hiruzen. All he wanted was Esu to not worry about others hunting him down. He then sees Jiraiya wanting to speak and allows him to.

"Look Esu, while I don't agree with all the things this dirty old man has to say (Hiruzen frowns as Esu silently laughed) but he made the right choice this time" Jiraiya stated confidently. He continues, "In the end, you're safe and back here in Konoha. You can still help us solving why this mess is happening. Will you do that?" The Toad Sage needed to get Esu out of his low spot. No doubt the other man was wanting to end all of this madness. He sees Esu stand up as the young man approaches him and extends his hand. The Toad Sage smiles and he cups his hand with Esu. The Uchiha also smiles and starts to get himself back together.

Esu declares, "Yes, Jiraiya-sama, I'll help you and Hokage-sama solve all of this." The lonely Uchiha was just glad to finally figure what his whole purpose was in their plan. Finding out that Hokage wanted him alive was a plus too. He then sees the Hokage stand up turn around to look at Konoha.

The Hokage had to find a way to further protect Esu while in the Leaf. It would not be wise to renounce his existence to the village. Also, while it would benefit Sasuke it may be waver his loyalty to the village. They had to be smart about this and let only a few individuals know of his true identity. He starts, "With that being said Esu, then to help us your existence has to be concealed for a little bit longer. I propose that we cover you with a high level Henge no jutsu that fools even Uchihas and Hyugas (he saw Esu understanding). I believe you already know what I am talking about Esu." This was no ordinary Henge jutsu and the seals had be done quickly and in the exact order.

The Uchiha then remembers hearing about this from somewhere. Ah yes, a journal of some sorts. He smiles, "Yes, Shodaime's Henge no Jutsu. The one he would use to mess with Madara Uchiha in the old days. That should definitely work". Esu knew this jutsu would work perfectly. If Madara Uchiha could be fooled with this then no one would bat an eye at him. However, he remembers only the Shodaime talking about the jutsu and doesn't recall the hand signs being listed in the journal. Then he sees the Hokage grab a scroll from his desk. He unwinds it and sees that it has the hand signs they need.

Jiraiya could only smile at this whole interaction. The two had better chemistry then he and his sensei did. All he wanted to do now was go do his "research" and hopefully find his godson by chance. With that in mind he started to leave the other two with a simple wave and a shunshin. The Hokage and Esu continued looking at the scroll and made sure that it was all clear.

(_5 mins later_)

Gone was Esu Uchiha. Now there was only a different man: green eyes, brown hair, firm jawline, and still the same 6 foot. Esu holds up a kunai and admires his new look. He didn't know how long he would have to remain like this but it would do. The Hokage then pulls out a Jounin uniform for him to wear. Esu looks at him in confusion, "What's with the outfit Hokage-sama, I'm still a chunin aren't I?" The Hokage shakes his head and could only laugh at Esu's reponse.

The elderly man returns to his seat and decides to explain, "Well, the uniform is to help you with your disguise. When it comes to your rank Esu I believe you are beyond a jounin. Once your identity is able to be shown then you will be Sannin, even though it is not an official rank." Esu just laughed stupidly to himself. He now had a bigger thing to worry about.

Although, what the Hokage said confused him. He asked, "So you're just going to act like Orochimaru didn't exist and put me in his place?" The Uchiha sees the Hokage shake his head and accepts his answer. "Well that's fine with me Hokage-sama, I'll make sure to make you proud." said Esu as he started to grab his uniform. He sees the Hokage give him keys and handful of money.

"These are keys to apartment where all the Jounin stay and enough money to buy whatever else supplies you may need." The Hokage continued, "Also from here on out you will be referred to as Kai Toro. I will also inform Kakashi Hatake of your existence." Hiruzen sees the Uchiha nod and allows him to leave. So much had been done today and it was barely noon. He sees that no one else is in the room and grabs his hidden _Icha Icha _novel. The legendary Hokage giggles like a pervert as he reads.

'_Finally, some time to let off some steam. I'm getting to old for this.' _, thought the Hokage. The rest of the afternoon no one else was allowed in the room for obvious reasons.

(_With Esu, shit I mean Kai)_

Reaching his apartment Esu sees that majority of the village is the same. He ascends the long stairs and sees some familiar faces as passes his fellow shinobi. Some wave at him and some don't look at all. However, one individual almost tries to take his head with their leg. First day back and people are already trying to fight him. He turns to look at the man and sees orange leg warmers, a bowl cut, and a man with a radiating smile. Out of all the fucking…

"YOSH! Nice dodge my friend. Who are you? My name is Might Gai!", says the now named man Might Gai as he tries to shake Kai's hand. Kai only looks at his extended hand and waits for Gai to realize what he is doing. It takes Gai awhile but he eventually figures it out.

Kai could only laugh. '_It seems Gai is still full of energy as I remembered' _he thought. He looks at Gai and starts to speak, "Sorry about that Gai, my hands are kind of full at the moment. My name is Kai Toro and I was just recently promoted to Jounin by Hokage-sama." Gai starts to smile and declares how youthful Kai was. But when Gai jumped off the railing was Kai able to be in peace.

Kai continues another floor after that interaction with Gai. He reaches his room and immediately starts to change into his uniform. Once that's done he applies his shinobi wrap in the necessary areas and puts on his headband.

"Well it's official, I'm a jounin now. I just hope I don't have to take care of a squad". Esu said and knocked on a piece of wood. He enjoyed the solo work and bunch of genin would only make him stressed out. Eventually he hears a knock at his door. Was someone already trying to get him? He gets a kunai, just incase, and opens the door. Of course **he** would be the one at his door so soon.

The man at his door was a masked one with a headband covering his left eye. He eye smiles at Kai and says, "Ah, Esu-kun, or I meant to say Kai-kun. It's great to see you again". Kai could only deadpan as the man was already trying to ruin his identity.

Kai sighs, "What is it Kakashi-senpai? It better be important." Again, out of all the people in the village. It had to be one of the 4 biggest perverts of all of Konoha.

The now identified man known as Kakashi responds, "I need your help with something. It's about my subordinate Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha".

Kai shuts his door and shouts "WHYYYYYYY!".

* * *

_To be Continued_

Thanks for the read make sure to read chapter 4 next! Anyways, Ja ne!


	4. Little Uchiha

Disclaimer: Ya boi don't own the Naruto Series since Masashi Kishimoto created it. The only thing I own are my OC's. Also, does anyone like pineapple on pizza? If you do you are definitely going to hell.

Anyways, sorry for bothering you. Just enjoy!

_Our pleasures are shallow, our sorrows are deep. ~ Native American Cheyenne Proverb_

* * *

First Gai, now Kakashi, who else was going to bother him? Kai reopens his door and sees Kakashi with the same novel created by the Toad Sage. He didn't understand why people read porn. If he had to say anything he believed actually conversing with women was what got him going. Then again, people get pleasure in there own ways. He sighs and steps out his apartment, his only place of comfort. He hadn't even been able to rest on his bed yet.

Kakashi looks up and signals him to follow, "Come on, I have him waiting somewhere far out the village so that he could train with no interference." Esu reluctantly follows him to who knows god where.

'_He would have thought to at least let me eat lunch first. What an ass.', _Esu thought to himself. Itachi's little brother was just another thing he had to worry about.

(_10 mins later_)

Both Jounin arrive in a gust of smoke while Sasuke was waiting "patiently" for his sensei.

The arrogant Uchiha spoke, "What took you so long Kakashi? And who's this?" He gave the new man a once over. With that Kakashi then finally put away his porn or he like to say "great work of literature" away to look at his student. At times like this he wondered if Sasuke would ever not be an asshole. There could only be one, and that was himself.

Kai could tell right off the bat that Sasuke was an even bigger ass than Kakashi. Just the way he spoke to the poor man was enough to want him to finish the job for Itachi. Well, he couldn't do that or else Itachi would end up killing him. So he will just let the little Uchiha slide, for now anyways. Kai hears Kakashi yawn and could already tell what his response was going to be.

As usual, Kakashi states, "Well, you see Sasuke, life is long road. Sometimes you get lost in it. And to answer your second question this hear is my dear friend Kai Toro, he will be observing you and will be my stand in as your sparring partner today." Sasuke could only hn in response. Kai took back what he said earlier, the little boy was going down today.

Kakashi continues, "So first let's continue working on your _Chidori_ and see if you are improving." Sasuke hears in him starts doing the hand signs for the jutsu. With his Sharingan he can see clearly the amount of chakra he is gathering for the jutsu. In an instant, said Uchiha runs towards the nearest pillar and destroys half of it. He could finally feel himself getting stronger, and much closer to reaching his goal.

Kai sees this and whistles. He hits Kakashi on the shoulder and speaks, "Would you look at that? And you said you needed my help. By the way, the Sun is strong today. You got any sunglasses?" Kai hopes that Kakashi picks up what he is trying to say. Sure enough he does and tosses him a pair of black sunglasses.

The silvered hair jounin replies, "I need your help with the sparring. He has fought me many times. Maybe you could spot some of his mistake in his fighting style." Now Kai was starting to pick up on what he wanted help on. The Uchiha Interceptor Fist, the taijutsu used by his clan. He would have to explain it to the little genin without giving too much information. Kakashi continues, "The shades should be enough for you to use your eyes. Just try not to go crazy okay?" Kai smiles, not because he was happy, but because he knew he didn't need his eyes at all. He didn't like to rely on his Kekkei Genkai like his clan members once did. Still, he made sure to train his eyes over the years to their full potential in case he ever faced an opponent ever worthy to see his true eyes.

Sasuke sees the two jounin interacting with each other and shouts, "So Kakashi, how did I do?" He sees the man give a thumbs up while Kai starts to approach him. Seems that it was time to get down to business. "Hn, are we going to spar now? I just hope your as strong as Kakashi-sensei." stated Sasuke which only made Kai grin to himself. This boy was just asking to get beat but he would go easy on him today.

"Now now, no need to be so hurtful. It's a spar right? I'm the one here to help you little genin." When Kai said that remark it only fueled Sasuke to speed ahead to attack. At the last second Kai stopped his punch from reaching his face and stopped a kick from hitting his head also.

Sasuke thought to himself, '_That didn't work on Kakashi-sensei and it didn't work on him. What else can he do?__' _He then gets his answer when he feels the man release him and push him back to where he initially started. With a backflip he recovers perfectly and then hears Kai start to laugh which only pisses him off even more. "What's so funny? I'm going to hit you eventually." Sasuke proclaims to which Kai just smiles. He sees the man about to talk and listens.

"If this was a real battle you would have died already. You acted on impulse which gets everyone killed." Kai explains as Sasuke gives him his typical Uchiha pissed off face. He adds, "Not only that, but you need to control your emotions. Kami knows that your enemies will use that against you. Psychological battles are the worst ones to fight. Try again." Sasuke could only nod his head and sets up for the Interceptor Fist. Kai sees this and sees many mistake; however, it looked like the boy held the form good overall. If the boy taught himself then well done but he had to fix this quickly. "Nice but your Interceptor Fist is awful. Let me come over there and help you." Kai walks towards him makes his stance looser and not as tight and restricted as it was previously.

Sasuke is confused when all of this occurs. How the hell did this guy even know his taijutsu? There was just no way. He demanded, "Where did you even learn to know how the stance is suppose to be done?" Sasuke was suspicious about Kai. If he had knowledge of his clan then he had to know more.

Kai starts by sighing, "Well, you see, I knew this one Uchiha girl back in the day. She trained a lot with me and I always saw how she fought. Shit, she was a good fighter." The older Uchiha starts to reminisce as he remembers who she was. '_Not only that she helped me open my eyes to their full potential, even though it haunts me to this day', _Kai thinks to himself as he opens up old wounds.

(_Esu Age 9, Third Shinobi War, Within Land of Earth_)

Team Daizo was sent on a infiltration mission to sabotage the supplies of Iwa forces. They stopped to take a break from the constant running and dodging enemy platoons. It was night time and they needed to replenish their energy. Shiru, Mika, Esu have all learned a lot under the tutelage of their sensei Daizo. He has stopped nonstop in making them improve upon their weaknesses and being more accustomed to battle. Overall, the team got along well with each other and Mika and Esu were only starting to get closer to one another. They concealed themselves well within dark landscape but they made sure to keep a lookout for any hostiles.

Esu eats with Mika as they talk about their training over the past year. For some reason they were finally able to tolerate each other after they put aside their egos. Esu was happy to just fix his Interceptor Fist after trying to learn on his own.

Esu tells Mika, "Why made you want to help me Mika-chan? You know you didn't have to." Mika stops eating and contemplates her responses. Esu can tell she wanted to give a good explanation.

"Well you see Esu-kun, in order to make you become a better Uchiha I had to fix your form. You were just too stiff which restricts your movement." Mika explains and goes back to eating. However, Esu could tell she wanted to say more so he grabs her shoulder. He didn't like it when people held back information from him, especially his friends.

This gets her attention and he looks in her eyes. Those deep brown eyes that he had gotten use to seeing everyday. "What did you really want to say Mika-chan?" states Esu which makes Mika turn her head away from him. Eventually she musters up the courage and looks back at him.

This past year she was able to see Esu grow and learn so much about him. So many doubted him from their clan that he was a "Uchiha Failure". What they didn't know was that Esu was much better than most of their clan members. He made her feel good about herself and cared about what she had to say ever since they started to get along. She now thought would be the best time to tell him how she feels. Mika says with smile on her face, "It's because I like you Esu-kun. More than you'll ever know." Esu is stunned by what she tells him. Mika continues to look at him as he is dumbfounded.

Esu looks around to make sure the other two aren't listening to their conversation. He starts to remember the issues they have been through and can understand why Mika feels the way she does for him. They understand each other so much and he realizes he feels the same for her. Esu then nervously responds, "To be honest Mika, I feel the exact same for you." This makes her smile even more as she starts to shed a few tears. They go for an embrace until Shiru interrupts them by throwing dirt at Esu. The Uchiha collect his own dirt until he hears noise in the wind.

He realizes what that sound is and tries to save Shiru, but it's too late. Multiple kunai impact the Nara and he dies shortly after. Both Uchiha get up and stand back to back to cover every direction. Out the darkness steps in invisible shinobi which reveal themselves to be Iwa shinobi. More than a dozen are visible and the two genin know they have a slim chance of surviving.

A Iwa jounin steps close to them with a part of their sensei. He laughs as he tosses them his decapitated head. The jounin says, "Poor bastard didn't see it coming. A little bird told us we have some Konoha scum in our land." He pulls his tanto out to further intimidate the two Uchiha. He continues, "Now, me and my men are gonna cut you up boy and have some fun with the girl." The other Iwa shinobi agree and pull out their blades and kunai.

Esu knew he couldn't fight them all on his own. Although, in order to protect Mika he is willing to sacrifice his life now. He turns to look at her and mentally telling her to go, but she refuses. She wants to help him kill all of them, together. Esu then agrees and looks back at all the Iwa shinobi with as much killing intent he can muster. He shouts, "You're all not going to make it out of here alive. I'm sending you all to HELL!" With that he begins the rapid hand signs to his jutsu.

"_Katon: Hellfire__" _says Esu as a ring of erupts from the ground around him and Mika. The 4 Iwa shinobi who were near the blast died in an instant. The Iwa jounin evaded with a back dash and used the _Doton: Headhunter Jutsu__. _That only left them with 8 Iwa shinobi to kill.

Mika was impressed to see Esu land a quad-kill. She wanted to pitch in and do her part. "Nice job Esu-kun, I'll handle the other guys while you go take down the jounin. I'll make sure to be quick.", Mika ordered as she activated her 3 tomoe Sharingan. She moves quickly to handle the lower level shinobi.

Esu is confident in her ability to handle them but is worried where the jounin went. At times like this he wish he had the Sharingan. At that moment he remembers him going under the ground. He then listens to the ground and hears rapid movement coming from beneath him. The Uchiha slaps a tag on the ground to see if that will hurt the jounin and jumps. The earth exploded revealing the jounin to be unarmed and covered in armor.

'_Shit! I forgot high skilled Doton users can make armor! I don't have any Raiton jutsu. I need to think of something._', the Uchiha told himself as he landed back on the ground. Katon would be useless at this point and majority of his jutsu consisted of that. Wait a minute! Esu then remembers a little trick the Nidaime mentioned in his journal. What he recalls is that Suiton can also be used to weaken Doton, but the user has to be very skilled in the nature to do so. Naturally, Doton overpowers Suiton and he can only see a low percent chance of his plan to work. The young Uchiha had only been practicing some of the Suiton jutsu when his sensei Daizo helped him figure out his primary affinity. Being a Uchiha, Katon jutsus were easier to learn but it was his secondary affinity. On his free time he has been able to perform small level Suiton jutsus on his own. This was his only chance to see if this could work and he had the perfect jutsu in mind.

However, the jounin responded by approaching him and aiming to strike him with his solid fist. Esu saw this and noticed that the jounin was slower in his movements. While the armor provided protection it hindered the user and wasted large amounts of chakra. Then the Iwa jounin stops his attack to grab his tanto and encases in solid rock.

'_Seems he is getting serious! Here's my chance!_', Esu thought as he rushed through hand signs. As he saw the man rushing him, armed and ready to swing he makes his hand go into a gun shape and aims. _"__Suiton: Water Bullet__!_", the bullet launched from his finger and straight into the chest of the Iwa Jounin. The man drops to the ground and spits out blood. Seems his armor was not as strong as he believed, but then again he was packing a shit ton of chakra into that Suiton jutsu to make it work. The Uchiha quickly grabs the mans tanto to finish the job. With no regret, he slices the man's head clean off.

"That was for Shiru and Daizo-sensei you Iwa filth.", Esu says as he kicks the head away. He feels his chakra is low after that last jutsu. Seems it costed him a lot since he has barely started to get the hang of Suiton jutsus.

He turns to see Mika still fighting and struggling to kill the last Iwa shinobi. He rushes as quickly as possible but he sees Mika get kicked away from Iwa shinobi. Laying on the ground he sees her chest rapidly going up and down. '_Damnit! She must be exhausted from using the Sharingan too long._', Time slows down as he as tries to get to her in time. The Iwa shinobi lifts his kunai as he prepares bring it down on her. Esu can only watch in horror as the Iwa shinobi stabs her in her abdomen. With all his might, Esu swings the tanto in his hand to kill the man before he can do any more harm. In the end, the man dies while Mika is slowly bleeding out.

Esu then hears Mika silently crying as he sits next to her. He grabs her hand in order to try and comfort her in her last moments. The girl looks at him as he too is weeping because of her suffering.

That skirmish ended up in their whole team dying. Their sensei Daizo must of let his guard down for a second when they attacked. They wish they could have saved Shiru but he too did not see it coming.

With the last of her strength, Mika grabs Esu's face to get his attention. These were going to be her last words so she hoped he listened well. With a cough, she speaks, "Esu-kun, don't blame yourself for my death. Go and be the best the Uchiha our clan, no, our village has ever seen. Just know that I'll love you forever." Esu continues to cry and can only nod as she spoke. He then looks at her and that's when Mika finally sees his true potential reveal itself. The dying Uchiha mutters, "Finally, I can see your true eyes...Esu-kun...". Her life fades from her eyes as her body becomes still. Esu knows the worst as come true.

With her dead body he embraces her one last time. The now red eyed boy knew he couldn't stay there long. He quickly lays her body as he goes to retrieve 3 storage scrolls his sensei keeps on his vest. The Uchiha approaches the man's body while paying respects to him.

'_Forgive me, sensei, but I need these real quick_'. Esu grabs the scrolls and puts in his sensei in one. Then he repeats this action with each of his team members. With the scrolls in hand, he stores them in his shuriken pouch. He then rubs his eyes as he can feel chakra continuously entering them.

The genin already knew what phenomenon was occurring. As he recalls the words of the Nidaime, he can only see the truth in his words.

'_I guess hatred is truly what gets us these eyes. It's all I can feel now. Kami help me._", Esu sadly thought as his 2 tomoe Sharingan swirled. He couldn't grieve for long. His next goal was to return to the Land of Fire alive

* * *

(_Present Day_)

That memory was sadly still there in the back of his head. He hated how well his eyes remembered every little detail. Her death caused his optical nerves to be over flooded with chakra in response to the sheer emotions he was feeling that night. When he was young he was told he would never awaken the Sharingan. It's funny in the end how things work out. Still, he had to move on from that day. Mika would want him to keep fighting on till his last breath.

But something was bugging Esu. It sounded like somebody was calling him. In an instant, he got a slap to his face.

"Hey, weirdo. You've been staring at the ground for the past 5 mins. By the way, I think I got the stance right.", said Sasuke as Kai finally realized he had been in deep thought. He would let the slap slide but still didn't like how the brat treated him.

Standing back up, Kai steps away from Sasuke. He orders, "Let's run through the movements now. We will let me see if you truly have it down." The young Uchiha could only smirk as he slowly did the movements. Kai just wanted this to be over.

'_Kami I still haven't ate!_', Kai internally screamed as his stomach was rumbling. If only time could go faster.

(_2 hours later_)

Kai was surprised to see Sasuke start to fight better. His previous stiff stance hindered his movements and now he was able to flow naturally. During their training they received an unexpected guess, a red haired one at that. With his shades on he activated his Sharingan to see that the boy had a unique chakra from within him. The boy had his own motives and he could tell that he was spying on the competition. Kai and Kakashi quickly deduced that Sasuke was the red heads target.

After that incident, the three called it a day but Kakashi decided to treat Kai with some food and drinks. While he was happy to finally eat, the sake is what made his day. Kakashi and him drank lightly since they expected to be busy with tasks tomorrow. After that the two went their separate ways.

Since it was barely late afternoon Kai thought he would roam the market of Konoha. As he walks around he sees a vendor selling some delicious looking fruit. When he starts to get closer he accidentally bumps into a woman carrying some bags. He realizes his mistake and apologizes to the woman. However, he then looks at her and instantly recognizes who she was.

Her dark brown hair, her pale eyes, and a Konoha headband that covered her forehead. It was hard for him to breath at the moment. '_Hisaya-chan_.', Kai remembers his long time friend.

The Hyuga woman gives him a smile, "Sorry, Shinobi-san, I guess I was in your way." Kai could not believe what was happening anymore.

* * *

_To be continued_

Side Note: Holy shit I didn't realize how hard it was to write fight scenes. Sorry if it was crap but I hope over time I can write them better. Also, leave some reviews on what I need to work on so that I can make this story better. Anyways, I'll see you next time.

JANI!


	5. Old Friend or New Friend?

Disclaimer: Like always, I don't own the Naruto Series and they are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. However, the OC's I created are mine. Also do you guys ever hate when summer is boring? Yeah that's how I feel too so don't worry.

Anyways, enjoy!

_Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ~ George Bernard Shaw_

* * *

Esu (henged as Kai) and Hisaya are once again reunited, after the former was gone for 6 years. For some reason, the Universe decided to make sure the two would meet again. Kai knows who the Hyuga woman is but she does not know him. At that moment, all he wanted to do was hug her and tell her how she has been but he reframed himself. Last thing he needs is to make a scene. He then hears her start to speak to him.

"Sorry Shinobi-san. I guess I was in your way.", Hisaya says as she looks at him and then to the ground. She couldn't believe she dropped her fresh groceries that she was going to use for tonight's dinner. She hopes her fellow branch members couldn't taste the dirt. However, there is something familiar about the man in front of her that she can't quite put her finger on.

Esu felt like an asshole at the moment, but not as big of an asshole as Kakashi-senpai. That man deserved that title with all his glory. Anyways, he just kept running into familiar faces today and it kept bringing back old memories. Still, he had to introduce his new identity, Kai, to his childhood friend Hisaya. He extends his hand to her and smiles, "Hi there! My name is Kai Toro. Sorry about dropping your groceries I was just mesmerized by the market here. What's your name?" The Hyuga woman smiles back at him and shakes his hand gently. He felt how smooth her skin was compared to his yet he could tell she fought a lot. Seems she trained over the years while he was gone.

"It's quite alright. My name is Hisaya Hyuga. I am a fellow jonin such as yourself. Care to give me a hand?", the Hyuga woman informs him. Kai acts surprised to hear that she is a Hyuga and a jonin like himself. He then helps her by picking her groceries up. Once that was done he takes her bags which Hisaya is alerted by. It almost seemed as if he was going to steal them from her until she notices him not running off.

"Mind if I help you bring these back to your home, Hisaya-san?", asked Kai as he could tell that his friend was looking upset for a moment. She nods her head and smiles as he sees an opportunity to get close to her again.

They begin walking side by side as they slowly make their way to the Hyuga Clan District. Kai could tell that Hisaya had changed a lot over the time he had been away. She was taller, standing at 5 ft 6 in, and had more of a closed demeanor to her. Her dark brown hair reached her mid back and she wore the typical kimono with sandals (typical outfit for most Hyugas). He always remembered her smiling a lot when they were younger, but that's not to say she didn't smile at all. It just became harder since she dealt with many issues in her clan. Hisaya was a branch member so she was cursed with a seal and had to obey whatever the main branch said or else she would be punished. In all honesty, Kai hated that part of the Hyuga clan and it caused her to change her personality overall. When he was young he met up with her and treated her kindly and made her feel special. He realized girls appreciated it when they felt special so he did it to get her away from her clan. It was working out just fine until he left, and he couldn't imagine what his supposed death did to her. Knocking all that thinking aside, he decides to spark a conversation with her. Finally breaking the silence Kai asks, "So, Hisaya-san, what gets you motivated everyday?" It was a nice and simple question to ask. Everyone had a motive or dream that they followed that kept them going.

Hisaya thought about it and she hid her frown from the Kai. She had dealt with so much pain and lost over the past 6 years. The clan still continued to be separated and Hiashi-sama was unpleased with his oldest daughter, Hinata-sama. He treated her unfairly and she could tell that she was trying her hardest to be the best Hyuga she could be. However, what still pained her to this day was the death of her friend Esu Uchiha. She didn't know their last encounter would be their last. The Hyuga woman didn't realize it until it was too late, but she had developed feelings for him. That regret will stick with her for the rest of her life. Then again their love would have been forbidden since they both were from prestigious dojutsu clans. Still, both these issues are what kept her going, reminding her to stay strong for her clan members and Esu. She decided to answer, "Well, since you asked, my fellow clan members and ensuring that I don't lose another close friend ever again. I want to make them all proud. What about you?" Kai nodded his head and knew that question he asked made her think of her painful past. It had to be said regardless since he wanted to understand her current mindset and feelings.

"To be honest, I don't quite know yet. I just got promoted to jonin today and still I don't know what my purpose is. I don't have a clan since I come from civilian family so maybe I'll find it one day.", Kai replied. He hated lying but he had to keep his disguise going. He knew his purpose and it was to find those truly responsible for the Uchiha Massacre. Not only that, but to continue protecting Konoha till his dying breath. That is what his true purpose was. He sees that Hisaya nods her head and that they finally reached the gates to the Hyuga clan. They stopped a few feet away from the sentries as Kai gives Hisaya her groceries back. He smiles at her as she smiles back and thanks him for carrying her groceries.

Kai wanted to make sure he would be able to see her again. Then, he gets an idea. Kai asks, "Hisaya-san, will I be able to see you again? I was thinking we could train together whenever you're available." This would allow him to see how strong she had gotten while he was away.

The Hyuga woman had to think about it. She barely knew this man but for some reason she felt that she could be herself around him. Plus, it was good to have sparring partners that were available. So she decided, and responded, "Yes I think that would work for me. How about tomorrow at noon at Training Ground 2? Anyways, have a great night Kai-san." They shook hands once more and she passed the sentries. Now she had to make dinner quickly, who knows how hungry her fellow branch clan members were.

Kai sees her leave and starts making his way to his apartment. It was getting late and he wanted to eat a snack and head to bed. He smiled all the way home knowing that he had finally gotten a true friend back in his life.

* * *

At 7 AM, Kai rises from his slumber and sits up on his bed. He did not have a lot to do today and he thought he could either check up on Kakashi or Jiraiya before his spar. Both were busing training their subordinates and getting them ready for the Chunin Exams. So he then decided to upgrade his equipment since he was back. The past years he only used what he could find and stole from the enemies that he killed. He rarely ever did mercenary work and tried to maintain a low profile. Although, being back in the village it was about time he treated himself. He got up and did some stretches and did his daily morning routine consisting of a shower and brushing his teeth. After that he put on his uniform without the vest and ate breakfast. Once that was done it was about time to head out and start going to the nearest supply and blacksmith shop.

Kai thought it was best to go to the supply shop first since it had all the basic equipment he needed: scrolls, kunai, shuriken, medicine, ninja wire, tags, and you name it. They came in handy whenever he needed it the most. He spoke with the shop owner and made plans to restock every 2 weeks at a discounted price since he was a jonin. After that he moved on to the blacksmith shop.

The jonin already had in mind what he wanted to use as his primary weapons. Many shinobi often ordered tantos, katanas, daggers, and whatever weapons they could think. However, he used a katana for so long that he was getting tired of it. Kai wanted to get up close and personal to his enemies and strike quickly. That's why he hated the katana since he had to learn proper stances, strikes, and footwork. So he explained to the blacksmith about using an axe and a tomahawk. While there were some already available they were either too big and heavy to wield quickly. Kai didn't see any tomahawks so this meant it would be the first for the blacksmith. With the axe, he wanted an all dark brown wood from the handle to shoulder. For the head, while he liked war axes, he decided for the single sharp side head. This meant the head would have one triangular curved blade and a hammer behind it. Kai also requested an all metal (head to handle) with leather around the grip. Now that left him with his tomahawk. Sometimes swinging the axe wasn't going to cut it so he needed something that could move faster and be thrown. The design consisted of a dark brown wood handle with leather around it and a short curved fan head. The curve would make it easier to disarm his enemies weapons. Then he thought to add a spike behind the head to make the tomahawk fancier. Once that was all said and done it costed him a lot but he still had much left of his pay from the Hokage. The blacksmith told him to return in a couple weeks to get his order.

* * *

Shopping took longer than expected and it was already 11AM when was done. Kai then started to head to Training Ground 2. It had been awhile since he had fought someone his age. The spar he had with Sasuke yesterday was not even considered a warm up to begin with. The brown haired jonin this time wanted to take Hisaya seriously since he does not know what new abilities and techniques she has learned. Furthermore, she was excellent with her Byakugan which would make this spar interesting. Finally getting his to the destination he finds the nearest tree and decides to take a nap.

After about 30 minutes Kai hears footsteps nearing him. He sensed the chakra of the new individual and automatically knew it was Hisaya and was proven correct when she waved at him. She was dressed in the typical jonin uniform like Kai but with her hair in a ponytail. It was about time for them to get their spar going. However, some ground rules needed to be established first.

"So Hisaya-san, what rules would you like for us to follow?", Kai asked as he walked out of the shade of the tree.

"Hmm I was thinking about a pure taijutsu match. Jutsu would only mess up this training ground for other people.", The Hyuga replied knowing that Kai would understand her reasoning.

A taijutsu match would allow Kai to see her overall strength. Her clan relied on their Gentle Fist for almost about everything. Avoiding her strikes to his tenketsu would guarantee him a win. Then again, that was easier said than done.

"Really now? Alright, I'm game. Just be gentle please.", said Kai as he heard Hisaya chuckle. Using the Sharingan for the spar would be a bad idea since she would be able to recognize the chakra with her Byakugan even with his shades on. This spar was either going to be fun or outright painful, but Kai just had to pull through.

As the two stood a reasonable distance from each other they both entered their taijutsu stances. Hisaya's eyes grew veins on the sides as she prepared to strike with her Gentle Fist. Kai decided to use a mix up of Gai's and Kakashi's taijutsu since he always saw the two spar back then. A gust of wind blew across the field as both fighters stared at each other. All they could hear was the rustling of the trees and nearby animals. Once all the noise stopped is when Hisaya rushed towards Kai. However, Kai saw this coming since Hyugas needed to be fairly close for their strikes to be effective. As she threw a 2 finger strike he grabbed her wrist and restrained it. That was until she brought down her other free hand to strike but it too was caught. Now face to face, Kai could see how focused and determined Hisaya's face was.

"Hisaya-chan, isn't that face a little too serious for a spar? Lighten up.", Kai asked attempting to rile her up. He got a response as she lifted one of her legs laced with chakra to kick him. Quickly, Kai released her and rose his forearms to soften the blow and slid a good distance away from her. '_Maybe I shouldn't have called her chan so soon. Ahh who cares as long she gets serious._' It seemed that Hisaya was starting to get a little mad.

Slow spars weren't that exciting according to Kai. Hisaya was quick, but he knew that she could be faster. Seeing that it was the best time for him to strike he was going to pick up the pace. In an instant Kai chakra dashed to the Hyuga. Once he reached her he attempted to sweep kick her but she was able to avoid it with a backflip. Not one to be bested, he threw a right hook which she blocked with her left forearm. He could see that his hit took a lot to stop as Hisaya winced. However, that was opening Hisaya used to strike him on his left shoulder. Kai cursed as he felt his tenketsu closed due to the strike. It seemed Hisaya still fooled around even in spars.

"Nice hit, Hisaya-san. You've managed to rid me of an arm. It's about time I get serious no?" The female Hyuga smiled in response to what he said. She motioned for him to come and so he did.

Kai let out combo of arm and leg strikes as Hisaya blocked as best she could. He managed to hit her left thigh which gave him a chance to put her down. As he readied a roundhouse kick she again struck a tenketsu on his leg. In that moment Kai grabbed dirt and threw it at the Hyugas face. Immediately Hisaya tried to remove all that she could and when she was done she opened her eyes. She found herself alone with the brown haired jonin nowhere in sight. As she looked around it was too late as Kai appeared from above with a strike to her chest. Her impact to the ground caused a crater to appear with her sitting in it. Kai instantly regretted it as he could tell Hisaya was out like a light.

The limping man got close to her and put her head on his lap. Kai may have gone overboard on that last hit. He assumed that she could take the hit but it seemed she was too slow to react.

'_Now she's not going to be up for about 30 minutes. Might as well put her in the shade_.', Kai thought as he carried her bridal style to the nearest tree. His left arm and shoulder were in pain but he still managed to carry her. Putting her down he rested the Hyuga upright on the tree and took a seat.

After their spar, Kai came up with the conclusion that Hisaya was indeed strong. She was quick and firm which was crucial for the Gentle Fist. Although, she could be much more if they trained often. Throughout the duration of their spar Kai was mostly holding back until he put a little too much force on that last hit. He already knew she was going to wake up pretty piss for that.

'_She's going to strike all my tenketsu. I'm done for._', Kai fearfully thought as he knew his doom was coming. Now all he could do at the moment was wait for her to wake up.

In about 30 minutes Hisaya began to stir and open her eyes. All she could recall was seeing Kai in the air and then everything went to black. She was still mad about him throwing dirt. It was a cheap move but then again it's what allowed him to win in the end. The Hyuga looked around as she saw Kai sitting next to her. The brown haired jonin looked to be in deep thought and so she nudged him on his shoulder. Kai looked at her and just smiled.

"Nice to see you're awake sleeping beauty. Are you alright?", Kai jokingly asked knowing that her chest must sting at the moment.

"You strike like a raging boar Kai-san. Overall, I think I'll be fine. By the way, how long have I been out for?" said Hisaya as she could tell she was going to be resting for the remainder of the day.

"Excellent and it's only been about 30 minutes. If you want we can stay here for a little longer and then get something to eat?" , Kai responded. The man knew that in order to get her feeling better he had to treat her for lunch.

Hisaya nodded and they both sat their until they felt better. Well, until Kai reminded her about his closed tenketsu that she decided to mess with him even more.

* * *

Back in the village the duo ended up eating at Ichiraku Ramen. However, Kai saw Jiraiya in their with what looked to be a boy with...oh god...orange as his entire outfit. Both jonin spoke to the two and that is where Kai learned that the boy's name was Naruto. It made sense that the little genin was the container of the Kyuubi with his whiskered cheeks. Not only that, he could sense a larger and dark within the child. He could only imagine the life Naruto had to endure growing up. After that, the Toad Sage and orange genin left and Kai continued to speak with Hisaya.

"So how do feel about Jiraiya-sama's new apprentice? He seems like a "normal" child.", Esu said sarcastically as Hisaya finished her bowl.

"The child is alright from the looks of it. I have heard rumors that he use to prank the entire village. Seems he wants gain as much attention as he can. Even Hinata-sama looks up to him." The Hyuga admitted as she looked at Kai. She couldn't believe Hinata-sama would fall for such a nuisance.

"Wow sounds like this kid is a handful. And your clan heir? Seems to me she might be feeling more than motivated towards him." Kai was impressed that a mere genin could cause so much trouble for a bunch of shinobi. It seems the trouble maker had more than meets the eye. He then thought of another question as he finished his meal as well. "So what about you Hisaya? Got anyone special in your life?"

"At that moment no. The men of my clan do not interest me. I feel as those I'll be serving Hinata-sama for the rest of my life." Hisaya admitted. Kai could tell there was something troubling her, but he decided to leave it there.

"If it makes you feel any better I'm single as well. Although, I feel like my duties are my only concern at the moment. Who knows when we will be needed to protect the village once more.", For whatever reason his response made Hisaya feel a little bit better. Kai then paid for their meals and walked out her outside.

"Thank you sparring with me and also for the meal. I hope we can do this again, Kai-kun." The Hyuga woman smiled as Kai waved at her as she left. Seems that he was now on her good side.

'_We will Hisaya-chan, we definitely will._' With that, the jonin started to head home.

* * *

Back at his apartment, Kai read some of the journals he had collected through his travels. Most spoke of tall tales while other covered the shinobi arts. While he wasn't intrigued to learn all of the shinobi arts, he thought it was best at least know some information in case he ever faced a foe with a unique art. Whether it be puppets, weird Kekkei Genkai, or those damn swords from the Kirigakure, he would be ready to handle them.

Furthermore, he still possessed the journals from the Hokage Senju brothers. He had read them numerous times and could quote the entirety of the journals by memory. The Nidaime's journal is what he cared about the most. The previous Hokage seemed to have held much hatred towards his clan in his writing. That was until he realized he was only trying to prevent another Madara Uchiha from ever occurring. Still, the Nidaime could have handled issues with his clan a little more formally by giving them more freedom then secluding them from the village. It only resulted in more hatred being manifested and blinding his clan from their potential.

During his travels he also mastered his Suiton affinity to the same level as the Nidaime. It took years for him to master creating water out of the molecules present in the air. Then to perform the high level ninjutsu he had to increase his chakra pools by doing numerous exercises. Even though he had larger pools that did not mean he left out his control. Kai was a well-balanced man and he wanted to ensure that he was able to fight longer than his opponents. Later on he mastered his Katon affinity and learned some jutsus in the other chakra natures. Again, he wanted to be able to handle any foe regardless of what they could use.

As he started to yawn he realized it was about time he sleep. He headed to his bedroom and climbed into his bed. The final round of the Chunin Exams were just weeks away. This meant that he had to be ready if anything were to go wrong.

'_Something tells me that a big battle is coming ahead._', Little did Kai know that an invasion was just on the horizon.

* * *

To be Continued

Side Note: I'm starting to notice that I am getting more followers to mine fanfic! I welcome you all to my story. Sorry if I have been slow but I have been going to work and dealing with summer school. It's hard to manage my time but hopefully I will have the next chapter up. But hold on let me know if I should just make the invasion one long chapter or in parts.

Anyways, ja ne!


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